Follow us by email

Thursday, August 27, 2015

As a single parent living in abject poverty in rural Bangladesh, Ruma faced a tough choice.

She and her children could try to make a go of it living on their own, or they could all move in with her parents who were also poor.

Living on their own would most certainly put Ruma and her children at risk given that she had few skills and little or no income.

Living with her parents would mean placing the burden of her poverty on her parents, something Ruma did not want to do. Being unable to contribute to the household’s income would also put Ruma at risk of being ostracized or even abused within the community.

In the end, Ruma and her children moved in with her parents, the only real choice between the two very tough choices she faced.

Fortunately for Ruma, her children, and her parents, HOPE International Development Agency was working in the district of Pakhia where they live.

When HOPE first began working to help improve the health and well-being of women and children in Pakhia, more than one-third of households reported that their children were malnourished. Two-thirds of children in the district suffered from frequent fevers, and nearly one in five children suffered from diarrhea, typhoid, scabies, or pneumonia.

Today, because of the collaboration between HOPE and communities in Pakhia, 93% of households report that their children are better nourished and 78% report that they are consuming fruits and vegetables from their own gardens. In many cases, families are earning income with their gardening.

Ruma received training in the cultivation techniques needed in order to grow a variety of vegetables and fruits in a garden of her own. As her skills and garden grew, Ruma included more vegetables in the family meals. Today, vegetables are an important part of every meal, and as a result, Ruma’s children are now healthy and happy.

The training and skills Ruma possesses has also enabled her to earn income by selling a portion of her vegetable harvests at the local market. The income she receives helps support her parents and send her children to school.

Because of her success, Ruma is now the leader of a local community group and serves as a role model for others in her community looking for the inspiration needed in order to transform their lives.

Ruma is provider rather than a burden, and instead of being ostracized, she has been embraced by her community as an example of the amazing transformation that can take place when people receive the help they need.

Friday, August 21, 2015

A new crisis is emerging in the aftermath of Typhoon Komen, the huge storm that swept through Myanmar earlier this month.

The storm affected 1 million people and current estimates show that more than 700,000 acres of the 1.2 million acres of farmland flooded by the storm are damaged.

This is a big blow for farming families who rely on their crops for food and income. The next rice harvest is in jeopardy if they cannot restore their way of life and farm fields in the coming weeks.

HOPE International Development Agency is helping families in the aftermath of Typhoon Komen and we urgently need additional funds to meet to the enormous need.

Families need our help in order to avoid becoming unnecessarily dependent on food aid for months to come and taking on unaffordable debt in order to meet their basis household needs - both of which will draw them deeper into poverty.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Myanmar Update - 1 million people are now affected by widespread flooding in Myanmar and more help is urgently needed.

Concerns for the long-term food supply of families affected by the flooding and destruction continue to deepen as another 200,000 acres of farmland are now flooded.

In all, 1.2 million acres of farmland are currently under water, with 450,000 acres completely destroyed. The flooding is massive and has impacted all but 2 of the country’s 14 states.

One aid official in Myanmar says that people who are able to return to their homes are returning to nothing.

HOPE International Development Agency is continuing to help families affected by this terrible disaster by providing urgently needed items such as food, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, fodder for farm animals, and support for farms.

The number of people affected by the flooding has increased greatly and additional help is needed in order to help as many families as possible.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Families in Myanmar were already coping with weeks of heavy rain when Cyclone Komen stormed into their lives earlier this week.

In addition to high winds, flash floods, and destruction on a massive scale, Cyclone Komen has also brought misery and suffering to the people of Myanmar, 70 percent of whom live on 2 dollars a day or less.

More than 300,000 people are affected. Nearly 1 million acres of farmland are submerged. Food and clean water are scarce to non-existent. Shelter is equally hard to find. Roads have vanished and rivers, normally used for transportation, continue to rage and remain choked with tons of debris.

“Flash flooding submerged my seven metre high, two-story home,” says one father whose family survived the torrent of water that tore through much of Myanmar earlier this week.

HOPE International Development Agency is raising funds to help families recover in the aftermath of the huge storm.

It costs $100 to help provide one family with what they need in order to recover from this terrible disaster. Your gift of $50, $75, $100, or more would be a blessing as it helps provide a family with urgently needed items such as food, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, fodder for their farm animals, and support for their farms.